Hearing Thoughts
by roseareader
Summary: Fitz passes Sophie over, and he misses her elvin heritage. Sophie is kidnapped and inducted into the Neverseen, who really aren't as bad as they seem. No serious ships, but is ambiguous, much like Shannon Messenger's style ( at least for now ). Obviously good!Neverseen, OOC characters, and OP Sophie.
1. Chapter 1 - The Prelude

Sophie Foster was different that everyone else. It wasn't always that way. She used to be a normal girl. But then everything changed. When she was five, a terrible accident occurred, leaving her to deal with the consequences.

Many wouldn't think hearing everyone's thoughts would be an impairment, but they were wrong. Sophie found herself with splitting headaches at all hours of the day and night. Sophie couldn't think of a single night where she had a good night's sleep. Not only did she have to deal with sleepless nights, but hearing the sharp knives of thoughts piercing into her skull was maddening.

To summarize, she was miserable. She couldn't say anything, either. When she was five, she had been put in a mental hospital because she was hearing 'voices'. It was only because of her parents that she wasn't still there. They had said that due to the head trauma, that it was only to be expected for poor little Sophie to be a little disoriented. She hadn't said a word about it since - it was a one way ticket back to the institute where disjointed thoughts joined her own. It was so much worse in the hospital. At least in the outside world people had full, sane thoughts. She cried all the time in the institution.

The only way the Sophie had found to cancel out the noise was music. The only music she ever listened to was classical musical. She didn't know if it was because of the chaos of normal, everyday thoughts of mothers trying to get their unruly children to school, or the thoughts of a person bored at work, but she much prefered the calm, soothing tunes of piano. It was all she could do to not go mad.


	2. Chapter 2 - Fitz is hasty

Riding the vales of Mozart, she began to relax in the fact that her classmates' thoughts were gone. She was so in tune with her music, that she didn't notice Mr. Sweeny striding up behind her. "Aha!" said Mr. Sweeny, "Listening to music I see! Think that just because you skipped a few grades means that you can check out in my class? If you think that your so smart, you can finish my lecture on the similarities and differences between the Lambeosaurus and the dinosaurs we've been studying recently. Go on now!"

Sophie groaned. Thanks to her photographic memory, she remembered every detail in the museum, and all the boring thoughts of her classmates. She stood up and walked to the front of the class. "The Lambeosaurus differs from the Dracorex by it's signature calling nose. Similarities include the period in which they lived. They both lived in the Late Cretaceous period. The fact about if the Dracorex is an herbivore is controversial. Due to it's slightly more pointed teeth, some scientists label it as an omnivore." As she continued, Mr. Sweeny became increasingly red. "STOP," he shouted, "That is enough! Go back to your seat Miss Foster. Due to your lengthy spout of inane knowledge, we are ten minutes late to lunch! Do not continue to listen to music in my, nor any class Miss Foster. Everyone, pack up!"

Receiving a few death glares from her classmates, she wound her way to the back of the class. The only thing she had brought was her lunch, a notebook, a pencil, and her ipod. She didn't need anything else. She quickly packed her supplies into her backpack. She didn't want to chance any of the classmates messing with her stuff. It had happened before. They didn't exactly like that a twelve - year old was in their senior class, so they made her life as difficult as possible. The worst out of them was George Hansen and Brendan Rose. They seemed like they were about to name her their mortal enemy. They had been horrible to her ever since she had joined thir class the year before. It started with missing supplies, to missing assignments that she knew that she hadn't lost.

"Hey Super freak! I want to know all the scientific names for the plants that the Lameosaurus eat!" It was Brendan. Out of the two, it seemed as if only Brendan had any brains to speak of. George just seemed to snigger at whatever Brendan said.

Sophie sighed, and turned to sit down and eat her lunch. Across the room, she saw a stunning, dark haired boy. He was reading the article. Sophie Foster had been accepted into Yale, but her parents had opted for the local community college. Some crazy reporter decided that it was newsworthy, and published the story. It seemed like it was everywhere.

Sophie ignored him. She plugged in her earphones, and listened to Brahms Symphony No. 4. She unwrapped her tuna sandwich and started eating. She finished quickly and decided to wander around the museum.

"Hey!" A voice sounded behind her. It was the boy. "Is this you?" He pointed to her picture. "Yes…" Sophie replied. "Do you wear contacts? Or have somehow changed the color of your eyes?" he questioned. Rapid fire questions always made her uneasy, especially from people she didn't know. "No, why would you ask? Is there some preset for eye color? As far as I know, brown is a perfectly natural eye color! Leave me alone!" She regretted her harsh words as soon as they left her mouth. He was probably just curious, or hopelessly naive.

"Sorry, I-" "No, it's fine. It was a personal question. I shouldn't have asked. Have a good day." "Wait!" She shouted. He either ignored her or was out of earshot. "Darn" she muttered.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Kidnapping

It had been a few days since her encounter with the boy. It was strange. Right before the accident, she had seen a boy who disappeared into thin air. Sophie didn't remember the details of the boy's face, but he vaguely resembled the strange boy the musem.

It didn't matter. Both of them were gone now. All she could do was continue with her life. Her life of constant headaches and sleepless nights.

She was doing her homework at the moment. Homework was easy for her. She knew

everything on the sheet, and if even if she didn't, all she had to do was look up the information. The only downside was that she was stuck with the information for life.

"Dinner is almost ready! Come on down!" Sophie's mom. A caring person who had never thought bad about anybody. Sophie knew this for a fact. Sophie quickly jumped down the soft, carpeted stairs and started setting the table. She loved being at home. At home, there were only four intrusive thoughts poking in her mind. Besides when she was listening to music, home was the calmest she ever was.

_There's something Sophie's not telling me… something's bothering her. I'll let her tell me. I just hope it's not anything serious. _

Sophie's mom. Caring as usual. Sophie internally smiled. She was just the best person in the world. She was the person who had fought the hardest for Sophie, the one one who comforted her when she was sad, the one who was always there for her. Not that her dad wasn't caring. He was, just in a different way. He wasn't ever home, preferring to work. Sophie didn't see him very much.

" Hi Mom! How are you?" Sophie tried to give the semblance that everything was fine, but the boy really shook her. It didn't look like her mom believed her act. "I'm good sweetie! How about you. You've been acting off since the museum trip, did something happen?"

She was pushing. This was bad. Sophie's mom, while endlessly sweet, was remarkably stubborn. Once she was worried about something, she never stopped pushing until she knew the answer.

"I'm fine Mom, don't worry. Nothing happened." Sophie really didn't like lying, but she didn't want her mom to know that a boy was asking about her. Knowing her, she would immediately go into overprotective mom mode.

"Where's Amy? I haven't seen her all day!" Sophe was worried. Amy had a history of bad decisions. From bad friends, to drugs, she was constantly in trouble.

"She's fine. She's at a friend's house." That didn't appease Sophie's worries. "At a preapproved friend's house. One where she can't fall into bad habits. She's fine. I'm sure she knows the consequences of her actions. Nadiya's mom won't let her do anything that will hurt her." "Fine… I just worry about her." "I know"

" I love you". Sophie's mom seemed surprised. They didn't usually make professions of love often in their house. "I love you too. More than you know."

Sophie finished setting the table, and they sat down to fettuccini in a creamy, rich sauce.

They finished quickly and Sophie excused herself quickly. She hurried up to her room where her cat, Marty, was waiting patiently. She laid down on her bed and held her head. Her headaches were getting worse every day since the boy. She absently petted Marty, and suddenly, everything was dark.

**Hey guys! Sorry about the wait! This is my first story, and I am still getting used to to settings of the website. For recompense, you get this and the last chapter in the same day! Sorry! By the way, please tell me if there is a grammatical or spelling error - that way I can fix it as quickly as I can. Also, if you guys have suggestions for which way you want this story to go, the plot is still pretty pliable. I will most likely be able to work it in. That said - there will _probably_ be no pairing for this fic - I kinda like how our lovely original writer (Shannon Messenger) keeps things in suspense. That way, both Keephie and Sophitz shippers can read it without betraying their ship and feeling weird about it. Hope you guys like this story!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Captivity

Sophie woke up with a pounding headache. She had an abrasive rope around her ankles and wrists. The gag was made of some really sturdy and muffling cloth. The room was dark, and she was sitting tied in a chair.

Sophie started to struggle, but soon realized that it was fruitless. The knots were tied too tight, and there was no way she could fray the rope without something sharp. She started to panic. There was no reason for anyone to kidnap her - she was nobody. The only thing special about her was her intelligence and her special abilities. Then again, her abilities caused her more pain that ease.

Feeling emotions, along with her telepathy, was numbing. Both of her abilities caused cracking headaches, and not to mention the feelings. She felt the emotions along with the person. It had almost driven her mad as a child, to go into public and feel the inconsistent fervor of a child's mind. She had felt everything her younger sister felt - everything from when Amy was upset that Sophie got to stay up late because she was older, to when she got better grades than her.

It got to the point where Sophie purposefully got low grades to appease her sister. That idea was blown out of the water when she took an IQ test. It was off the charts - 234 according to the nurse.

Not that her special intelligence would get her out of here now - she was completely and totally stuck.

The room turned blindingly bright, and a humanoid figure was walking closer to her. No, it was an alien. There was no way a human could look so pretty.

He had slender features with striking messy blonde hair and ice blue eyes. He was about her age, if not a few years older. There was a certain pain in his eyes, like he had gone through multiple hardships that he had not come out on top of. He would be stunning, except for the expression on his face. It was the embodiment of evil, with a smirk and hard eyes with a promise of pain.

He sauntered up to her and laughed down at her. He said,

"Hello Sophie, we've been waiting for you."

**Hey guys! Yes, that was Keefe. I know...where's the carefree, happy Keefe that we all love? For this story to work, aka with Sophie tugged between the Dark and Light, I had to choose who to evilize. I really like Fitz as a Golden Boy, and Keefe's canon personality doesn't fit a Golden Boy, so Keefe gets the evil. Don't worry, he's still (mostly) the Keefe we all love, just his...not... so good traits exploited. Fitz's reintroduction won't happen for a while, so hang tight! We are going to explore the Neverseen side of things, since Shannon didn't really give us deets! See ya and comment...please...it is my motivation to write...bye**

**Roseareader**

**PS: I have a thousand word chapter all ready to go, but it has an almost perfect breaking point. If I get 2 comments on this chapter in 24 hours...just 2...I will post the whole thing...sorry for the blackmail...desperate times call for desperate measures...**


	5. C 5 - Freedom is achieved - sort of Pt 1

He laughed again. "I've been practicing that."

Sophie froze. He couldn't know about her powers. She had never told anyone about her telepathic abilities, and it wasn't like she screamed every time she had a headache.

The strange boy took in her panicked expression. "Yes, we know about your powers, your struggles, how you just can't fit in, and how you feel alone because of it. We are your creators, Sophie, the Neverseen. We created you for a purpose that you can fulfill, or die trying.

Panic laced Sophie's thoughts. She wasn't 'created', she was born to her parents! She was Sophie Elizabeth Foster, and nothing that this dangerously pretty boy said could change that. "I don't know what you're talking about! Please just let me go home," she croaked " I'm not special. I can't do anything. I'm nothing."

His countenance turned strangely pitying. "Well we can't have you reach your full potential thinking that, now can we? I'll be back."

Wow. Now he was quoting Terminator. If he even knew what that was.

As he left, the lights dimmed within the room, and she was left in utter darkness. Usually, Sophie wasn't afraid of the dark, but in a new, strange, claustrophobic place, it was stifling.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Her voice rang out quickly, as if the room was designed to cancel out noise. After calling out until her voice was hoarse, she decided that 1. The boy wasn't coming back for a while, possibly ever, and 2. The noise cancelling system was seriously maddening.

Slumping back into the wall, she sighed. Not knowing where she was, or even if she was safe was..._enraging_...actually. Now that she thought about it, she was angry. How dare that boy decide that kidnapping her was a logical option for whatever lunacy he was pretending. Or not pretending.

Sophie thought about the distinct possibility that she was trapped by a madman. Well, that was splendid. Amazing. Wonderful.

After Sophie ran out of antonyms to describe her situation, the angry feeling came back with a vengeance. Now that she had mulled over her situation, she now felt free to unleash her anger.

Everything had gone wrong. All she had ever wanted to do was be normal, to work as a writer. You didn't have to see people to write. All you had to interact with was a pen and paper. _Those_ things didn't have thoughts. Blessed silence.

Not so blessed now, however. The silence was infuriating. Anger building, Sophie focused on the door. A curious boiling filled her body, streaming through her blood vessel and out her arteries. At the climax of her anger, a red haze filled her vision, shrouding everything in that blasted room in blood.

Distant screaming tickled her senses, and she chuckled. The world deserved to burn for what it had done to her, forcing her to be abnormal, to be shunned and unwanted. Even though she knew her parents loved her, from the thoughts and feelings they projected, it never quite resonated with her. Maybe it was because of her abilities, or the fact that her parents didn't share them, but she always felt separated from them in a way she knew her sister didn't.

Focusing her concentration to the hated door, it exploded. Walking out, she never noticed the bodies covered in blood laying by the door.

**Hi guys! Sorry, but blackmail is blackmail...so...don't...be mad? Shout out to ridhikat7 for commenting, but it was the only one! I really appreciate the people who take time to comment, especially because I try to pump out chapters quickly...**

**On a brighter note, however, I have a tentative schedule! Every other day! I'm a little bit ahead because of the half - chapter you made me post (angry face) but it should be pretty regular.**

**If you comment, you get a teaser to the next chapter! Note the bribing? Also, please tell me if you see plot holes or something similar so I can work it out...See ya!**

**\- Roseareader**


	6. C 6 Freedom is achieved - sort of Pt 2

In contrast to the dark, claustrophobic room she was kept in, the hallway was large and airy with window between the closed doors.

Thinking that other people might be locked in along with her, she unlocked the door immediately to her left.

Like her cell, the room was unlit and small, but dry. Not a drop of water in the air. Strange, like everything else here. Maybe the person in here had a gift with water.

Great. Now she was buying into that nonsense that _boy _was spouting. Then again, was he wrong? She did have powers that he somehow knew about...that she never told anyone...that he seemed to share.

Turning her attention back to the room, Sophie saw a beautiful, pale girl. She had midnight hair with silver ends. The silver matched her eye, which were a silvery grey. The girl was dressed in black leggings and a comfortable navy blue sweater. She looked ereatheral, laying on the cot, with her hair spread on the pillow.

Deciding that the unknown girl might be trapped like she was, Sophie walked over to the girl and lightly shook her shoulder. The girl didn't wake. Shaking harder, Sophie quickly found that either the girl was a heavy sleeper, or she was under _serious _sedatives. Trying once more, Sophie shook the girl _hard. _Letting out a snuffly snore, the girl woke. Examining Sophie, the girl had a kind look on her face. Sophie decided to get this over quickly, before they were caught, decided to get this girl out with her. It was probably her kind expression, or the unwitting puppy eyes that she was sporting, but in that moment, Sophie resolved that, whatever happened, she would keep this girl safe

Speaking quickly, Sophie said. "Hey, come on. We have to get out of here. Do you know where we are so we can get out?"

Seeming confused, the girl replied, "No, why would we need to get out? We're perfectly safe here!"

Scowling at the girl, Sophie replied, "Safe? Of course we aren't safe! I woke up to this weird blond guy telling me that I was 'created' and then he left! Without explaining anything! Not to mention the bonds I woke up with!"

Seemingly stifling a smile, the girl said, "Keefe! Of course he didn't explain anything! He always goes for dramatic effect. Let me explain. First, you are not human."

Feeling incredulous, Sophie blurted, "Human? Of course I'm not human! Feeling thoughts and feelings isn't exactly normal for a human, is it!"

Smiling softly, the girl said, "Of course not. Now, introductions. My name is Linh, what is yours?"

Slightly confused at the subject change and slight, Sophie said, "Foster, Sophie Foster."

Hearing the door open behind them, Sophie cursed herself for forgetting that they were not, in fact, alone, and that they needed to escape.

_Too late for that…_

Chuckling sounded behind them.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the little birdie got out of her cage."

Keefe had come back.


	7. Chapter 7 - Understandings

Linh groaned.

"Really, Keefe? You have to freak her out even more? She was scared stiff that she had been kidnapped when she came in and woke me up and,"

"Wait, what? She actually woke _you_ up?" Keene exclaimed. "The rampaging gorgodon couldn't wake you up. I know. I tried that to get you up. She just woke you up without any fuss! She must have super elf powers!"

_Elf?_

"I am offended! You certainly did not send the gorgodon through the halls! For one, Fintan wouldn't allow it, and the security on these halls is too strict. There's no way you could have snuck the gorgodon in! No way...you did, didn't you?"

Keefe smirked, making his face much softer than the face he had first greeted her with, and said, "Never doubt the prank master. Besides, what Fintan doesn't know won't hurt him."

"What won't hurt me?"

There was a voice by the door. It came from a tall, tan, blonde elf. His piercing sky blue eyes were aimed at Keefe, who looked intimidated now that he was being caught red handed in bragging about his seemingly latest prank.

Fintan sighed. He stated in a serious voice, "It doesn't matter right now. We have a problem. Stina and Tam were found outside of Cell 3 - B4 unconscious and covered in blood. Stina is in critical condition and Tam is still out. We need to find the escaped visitor and - "

Sophie couldn't stand it anymore. "Visitor? I was trapped inside a cell with binds around my wrists and ankles! Then, Keefe over there acts the perfect captor! How in this situation am I a visitor!"

Glaring at Sophie, Fintan spat, "So that gives you the right to put Stina in a coma? Tam's probably going to _die_ and you just act like a princess who can't get -"

Fintan stopped, thought and muttered, "Fine, you probably _thought_ you were right in injuring Stina and Tam, because you thought you were a _captive._"

The last word was said with so much dripping condescension, that Sophie started in surprise.

"You mean that I'm not a captive? I can leave?"

Fintan grimaced. "Well, you _can_ leave, but it would be ill advised. You see, the Council - the leading body for our people - is lazy and antiquated. They would either seek to sway you to their side, or control you. We, he motioned to Keefe and Linh, members of the Neverseen, seek to establish our own leadership that looks out for the needs of the _people_, not the stuffy needs of the nobles. The Talentless are basically treated as second class citizens, while those that can harness their abilities are revered. We want everyone to be treated equally, with a new government."

Fintan spoke with conviction that belied his fervent devotion to his cause. Everything in his posture and expression was absolute allegiance to the..Neverseen.

"I guess I'll stay here then, and help you guys." Sophie's answer was slightly reluctant and curious.

"Re - really? I mean, I just want to make sure that you want to do this, and - I'm rambling. Sorry, it's not often that we get new prospective members. We are often misunderstood because of the whole revolution thing." Fintan was speaking so fast that Sophie was having a hard time understanding him.

"Yes, I'm sure. What do I have to do?" Sophie's response was resolute.

**Hey Guys! This chapter has a lot in it, huh? Comment, please! Pretty please? Tell me if you want to know something or clarification - I get lonely. BTW, sorry about the repeat chapter - I got that fixed. See ya!**

**\- Roseareader**


	8. Chapter 8 - Keefe Runs Away

There was silence.

Unsurprisingly, it was Keefe who broke the silence.

"Well, now that that's over with, what about Stina and Tam?"

Raging guilt overcame her. Now that she knew what the Neverseen were and what they fought, Sophie felt absolutely awful that she had hurt them.

Throwing a dark look at Sophie, Fintan answered, "Stina and Tam, are both in comas, but Tam's doing markedly better than Stina. He's responding to outside stimuli, and is expected to make a recovery in a few days. Stina, however, is unresponsive. We...don't know if she _will_ wake up."

Curling into herself, Sophiie held back a sob. What had she done to these people? More importantly, how had she done it? It was her fault, because she had let her temper get away from her, after all. It was her fault that two people were in comas, people who had their own lives,

people who fought for a cause that was not only worthy, but heroic. She had to find a way to fix it, because it was her _fault_.

Fanning himself, Keefe huffed.

"Fintan, lay off. She feels really bad about it. She didn't mean to put Stinky and Bangs Boy in a coma; I can feel her guilt like a sledgehammer. If anything, it's my fault. I was the one who made her feel like a captive. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have felt angry enough to unleash her mad skillz. It's fine, Sophie, it's not your fault...it's mine."

Sighing, Fintan groaned.

"Keefe, it's not anyone's fault. Yes, you should have held back your dramatic streak, and actually welcomed a visitor for once, instead of alienating them. Honestly, it was just luck that Marella decided to look past your humongous ego. Her Pyrokinetic ability is invaluable. You couldn't have known that Sophie would react negatively. No one did. If we did, then we would have sent someone else to greet her. Stop blaming yourself. Sophie, you obviously don't have control of your powers yet, so you wouldn't know to control your anger. That's the point of coming here - to learn how to master your powers. Now, all we have to do is to find out what power you have so we can control it."

Sighing dejectedly, Keefe just shook his head and nearly ran from the room. Looking after him worriedly, Fintan and Linh let him pass.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sophie's question was nearly a whisper, yet it carried through the room.

"He will be."

FIntan's answer was bereft of the conviction that he displayed earlier. He looks shrunken, like his earlier proclamation of his cause tired him to exhaustion, Stina and Tam's predicament only excaberating his fatigue.

Sophie stifled a yawn. Shaking off her tiredness, she asked, "Is there a process that I have to go through to be an official member of the Neverseen? I shouldn't just be able to join just by asking, I mean, wouldn't you get a lot of spies that way?''

Fintan nodded almost imperceptibly, seeming like he was a million miles away. At that moment, Linh jumped in, citing the need to show Sophie to her new room.

On the way, Linh talked nonstop.

"Sorry about the room that you woke up in, and the bonds. There isn't any real way to tell which skill of ability an elf has, so we have to go all out on everyone. Do you need anything from your house? We got all of your stuff, so you can just pick what you want, and we'll keep the rest. It'll go to good use, so no worries about that. Are you tired? I know I would be, escaping one of our cells like that. Do you want anything to eat? We have human food as well as elvin food, in case you don't want to try anything new. I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorry about that, I don't really have any girlfriends. Everyone else is too old, and Stina is...well...Stina. I hope you don't mind. Oh, here's your room! We'll get you in the morning, an alarm should go off when you need to get ready. Good night!

It was a long walk, filled with Linh's incessant chatter. Sophie couldn't make out any of the details in the room before she collapsed into bed. She went out like a light.

**Hey guys! Hi! Thanks to those who commented! As I am updating only weekly now, I'm going to try to increase chapter size - not by much - just by a few hundred words. Ok ,question time - do you want Fitz to switch to the Neverseen after seeing what they stand for, or do you want him to be on the fence, ultimately choosing hi family over Sophie? Please comment! It is my only payment and motivation to write. See ya!**

**Roseareader**


	9. Chapter 9 - Keefe get tongue tied

A melody of strange noises awoke Sophe. It was a mix between a lion's roar and a horse's whinny. It was a strange combination, one that confused Sophie. What sort of animal made that sort of noise? Of course, it would be expected that a whole new world would bring a whole new host of creatures, Sophie thought irritably. It would not do to be reduced to a kindergarten level of knowledge in her new surroundings.

A cacophony of noises rang through her door. Now that it was light out, Sophie could see the detail of her room clearly now. It was light and airy, with an ocean theme, a direct contrast to the cell she woke up in. It seemed like someone had noted her dislike of claustrophobic spaces.

The room had light purple bookshelves filled to the brim with what seemed like all books ranging from informational texts, to the elvin equivalent of fantasy. Giddily, Sophie thought,

_It's going to be easier than I thought to learn about my world. I mean, the Neverseen seem like good guys, but I still want the whole story before I decide to formally swear fealty. For all I know, they could be leading me on hook, line, sinker. It's good kudos points for stocking my room with information about the elven world. It is really thoughtful of them._

The blue paint on the walls calmed Sophie, as it had always been her favorite color. However, Sophie didn't know if the bright red splotches on the paint were intentional, but Sophie privately was devising ways to rid the walls of the color. It was too disorienting, and Sophie wanted her room to be her safe place, where no one could touch her.

A loud yell rang out outside the door. Keefe yelled, "Yo Foster! Breakfast is in an hour, so clean up and get your butt out here, or I'll set my personal gogodon upon you!"

_Well, _Sophie thought, _Keefe really doesn't cease to be as dramatic as he can. I really have to ask what a gorgodon is. If Keefe keeps on making as many references as he does, I'm sure it'll make an appearance sooner or later._

Deciding to quickly shower and change, Sophie went into the bathroom and stripped. Goggling at the shower, which was of immense proportions, and of the amount of bath products in the bathroom. Sophie chose the products with purple pink blossoms floating in it. Fortunately, the bottles had labels on it to signify what they were. Sophie stepped into the waterfall esqe shower, and turned the hot water on. Uncapping the shampoo released a scent reminiscent of roses, lavender, and freesia. The fragrance was exquisite, and Sophie took it in a few minutes before applying it to her hair. She quickly found out that all of the products that she had chosen were essenced by the same plant, not that Sophie minded. In fact, it was quickly becoming her favorite scent, after freshly baked brownies and cookies. There were some things that flowers just couldn't beat.

Lathering up her hair, Sophie thought about her new situation. While it wasn't her ideal choice of being introduced to the elven world, she decided that it was a good thing. No doubt the teal eyed boy was from the Council, and Sophie wanted nothing to do with them. If the Council was as bad as Fintan said, they would have no doubt swayed her to their side. While Sophie prided herself on seeing the world clearly, she knew that she tended to see the best in people. It occurred to her that the Neverseen might have censored some knowledge about the COuncil from her to gain sympathy for their side. Sophie dismissed that idea, after thinking about it. Sophie had a gift for reading faces, and there wasn't anything devious in any of the Neverseen's expressions. Well, except for Keefe, but he was likely practiced at lying to Fintan, and he didn't really count. Sophie had already discerned that he only lied for pranks, to get him out of trouble, and and for any covert operations that the Neverseen might pull. It just wasn't in his personality, to continually lie. After a while, he would slip. If he was hiding anything, it was meaningless.

Her hair was sufficiently bubbly, so Sophie rinsed it out. Putting the soap on the loofah, Sophie scrubbed her skin raw. It had accumulated sweat and dirt during her kidnapping and escape. She stood under the spray. Showering was SOphie way of centering herself, and relaxing. If she had any problems, all she had to do was imagine the issues rinsing off in the spray and down the drain. It was an effective technique, one that Sophie utilized often. SHe definitely had enough to be worried about. Every aspect of her life had changed. SHe ran the conditioner through her hair, and after a few minutes, rinsed it out. Standing under the warm spray, Sophie just enjoyed the hat water sluicing down her body.

After Sophie finished with her shower, she wrapped a fluffy towel around herself, and headed to the walk in closet, which was conveniently located inside the bathroom. Sophie blushed, seeing undergarments that they shouldn't have had any time to make, since she had never told them her size. Sophie quickly put on her undergarments, and looked towards the clothing. There was a set of clothes laid out on the clothes rack. It was a red tunic, with a loose fitting pair of fluffy black pants. Thanking the clothing gods that they weren't going to force her to wear fancy clothes, Sophie quickly put them on. Everything was comfortable, and it was suspiciously well fitting. Deciding to let it go, Sophie walked out of the closet, to the hallway.

Keefe was there, waiting for her. He looked at her, blinked a couple of times, and stuttered out, "H-Hey Sophie! Are you all freshened up and ready to eat! I'm really, really sorry for my absolute horribleness and I kowtow before you amazingness. Nothing could ever reach your grace and I am an unworthy mortal who must ask forgiveness. Li - I mean, _someone_ wanted me to apologize for my absolute idiocy and to beg on my hand and knees for absolution for my sins."

Sophie, for some reason, felt a warm, tingly feeling in her chest. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but strange all the same. She had never felt it before, so it may have been a reaction to how Keefe looked in the blue tunic that complemented his eyes perfectly.

Sophie stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"Keefe, it's fine. Sure, you scared me, and acted like a jerk, but you apologized, so I can't stay mad at you. It's a thing I have. I just forgive people if they apologize sincerely, and you obviously are, or are scared stiff by the proposal of Linh's wrath, so I'll let you off. Just get me a really nice Christmas present!"

Keefe looked befuddled.

"What's Christmas?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Hey guys! How was this chapter? Good? Bad? Iffy? Anyway, I have a problem. I know I alluded to Sophie having Empathy (read stated it), but I don't know if I want Sophie to keep it and break her canon abilities. Comment your opinion, and I'll go from there. I can see how many people see the chapter, and how many people comment. You have no excuse! Thanks to commentators, I love you guys! See ya!**

**\- Roseareader**

**PS: I got questions about Amy doing drugs, when in canon, she's nine. I'm scrapping that idea. In the beginning, I wanted Sophie's family to have some problems purely for character development. The things that my sleep deprived mind comes up with (insert sigh). ****When Amy comes back into the story, and she will, I want her to be able to progress as a character, so she must have problems. I wanted Amy to have a darker history to be able to consider the Neverseen as a viable option and not be a 'good girl'. While the cause is just, it's still overthrowing the government, sooo...I'm not sure that canon Amy would choose to help if she never experienced the darker side of life. I'm coming up with a new problem, but you probably don't need to reread it, since it's the only the thing I'm to change. Thanks for telling me!**

**X Roseareader**


	10. Chapter 10 - The squink nation rises

As it turned out, Sophie did not have the privilege of explaining the majesty of Christmas to Keefe. They arrived in a comfortable living room that had squashy armchairs with tables beside it. It had a Starbucks vibe, and smelled of expensive coffee. Fintan, Linh, and a handsome guy with jet black hair and blue grey eyes greeted them. He had the look of a young boy who had just pulled off a prank without being caught. It was strange to see that particular expression on his face, because he looked like he was in his early twenties.

Linh's face lit up. She said,

"Hi, Sophie! Good morning! Did you have a good night? The beds here are really comfortable, it's like you sink down into them and fall into a sleep bubble! This is Brant, he's really nice! I'm rambling again, I'll stop now."

Linh looked embarrassed, and flushed. Brant chuckled, and said,

"Wow, Linh must really like you! I've never seen her ramble like this, so you must be great. I'm Brant, like Linh said,"

He sent Linh an amused look.

"and I am pleased to meet you. Now, eat! There's human food as well as elvin food, so you can eat both. You might want to try some elvin food, however, despite it's looks. It's really good, and

I'm sure you'll find it enjoyable. Linh can lead you to foods that are like human food, so it won't be a culture shock."

On the sidebar, there was an assortment of human breakfast foods, but Sophie noted that there wasn't any meat. Were elves vegan? If so, Sophie didn't think that she would take to elvin cuisine very well - she liked hamburgers too much to give them up. With Linh's guidance, Sophie settled on a strange boiled purple root - ganig root, a fruit that looked like a deformed lemon - resnip, and a bowl of honey nut Cheerios.

Settling onto an armchair next to Linh and Brant, Sophie began to eat. To her surprise, the ganig tasted like bacon, and the resnip tasted like lemon custard. Finding both delicious, Sophie finished the plate filled with them, and picked at the Cheerios, having eaten her fill.

Keefe had chosen a strictly elvin breakfast, with the ganig, and a brown, spherical, shiny, squishy fruit the size of a tangerine. He gobbled down the root, and slowly ate the bowl of squishiness. It made squeaky squishing noises as he chewed, making it very awkward as everyone else had finished eating. Keefe, however, seemed oblivious, and continued his squeaking. After a while, Fintan ordered,

"Enough Keefe! That's enough of that infernal _squeaking_. Stop now."

Smirking, Keefe gave one last chew, and swallowed his poor, abused food. There were a few left in the bowl, but Sophie wasn't sure if he was reserving them for annoying Fintan, who, in his defense, looked thoroughly annoyed by the squeaking.

Brant gave Fintan a wry look.

"Fintan, if you really don't like Keefe eating squink fruit, all you have to do is to stop stocking it."

Fintan groaned.

"If I could I would. One of the stipulations that the gnomes gave to work here was to give us this fruit. Apparently it grows in abundance in their colonies. Their children already drive their parents to exasperation by eating those abominable fruits 24/7, and that's with the decreased supply that they have. It's not that big in the Lost Cities because of the taste, and the parents are all tired of that infernal _squeaking_."

Now Sophie was curious.

"What do they taste like?"

Keefe gave an evil smirk.

"Why don't you try them to figure it out?"

Sophie popped one into her mouth and bit down. It tasted like extremely sweet, over brewed black tea. It wasn't to her taste, but Sophie could understand why Keefe liked it. It was overwhelming, rather like his personality. Sophie chewed some more, with Fintan wincing with every bite. The taste became markedly less strong, until it tasted like creamy tiramisu. It was, in this diluted state, much more palatable, and Sophie found herself enjoying it. After one last chew, Sophie swallowed the fruit, which now had the consistency of Jell - O.

Keefe grinned at Fintan.

"Looks like we have another member of the squink fan club! Sophie, to be a fully initiated member, you have to drive Fintan out of the room by squinking alone! No cheating! It seems like you're about halfway there, so practice!"

Keefe handed her the bowl, and when Sophie took another one, Fintan quickly left the room. She shrugged, and bit into the fruit, quickly chewing it to rid it of the first taste. A faint yell could be heard, and stomps leading away from the door could be heard. Sophie enjoyed the aftertaste before swallowing the dubious fruit. Brant grinned at her, and gave her a pat on the shoulder. He said,

"Good job Sophie! You rid us of the Enforcer! Now, how about Linh and Keefe give you a tour of the building. That way you know your way around the place, and can navigate it without having to rely on a stilted memory of the place from your escape."

Sophie grinned, unknowingly mirroring Keefe, and agreed eagerly. It would be a good idea to know her way around the place. After all, it would be counterproductive when she tried to visit Tam and Stina and got lost along the way.

**Hi guys! How are you? HOpe you liked this chapter. WIth all of the weird things that the elvin world has, I should think that there are some annoying fruits that Keefe would enjoy. Also, check out my new story! It's HP, so if you haven't read the series, it's fine, but I highly recommend the series. It's amazing. Anyway, comment. I can see how many people see the chapters! You have no excuse! See ya!**

**X Roseareader**


	11. Chapter 11 - Shattered minds

**Shattered Minds**

* * *

It had been an hour, and Sophie was beginning to regret agreeing to the tour of the building. It had been forty five minutes since they had left the breakfast hall for the tour. Not that it hadn't been productive. It had - she had learned where all of the exits were, the main room, the planning room which she had only seen a glimpse of. She had also seen where Linh's, Keefe's, and Fintan's rooms were. Apparently, Brant lived off site with his girlfriend Jolie.

Sophie groaned. Keefe grinned at her. Both Linh and Keefe had agreed to take Sophie on the tour, citing the need to explain it in an 'interesting perspective'. Keefe just said,

"Fintan, you would just explain the history of every speck of dust that made this place, and Brant would just complain about how big the building is and how much his feet hurt. Honestly, it's better if Linh and I take Foster here - at least we'll get her back here in time for dinner, and without boring the gurdy roots out of her."

"And next, the infirmary. We won't go in, because we would disturb Stina and Tam, but you know where it is now, in case you get hurt."

Linh looked at her and said,

"Sophie, it isn't your fault. I know for a fact that Tam won't blame you. Stina'll be a jerk about it, but she'll get over it. Nobody blames you, it's not your fault."

But it was, Sophie thought, if she hadn't done what she had done, they would be well, and functioning. If she hadn't been a stupid _idiot_ who lost her temper, then all would be well. If she hadn't been a _selfseving knowitall _then this would have never happened. _Pathetic_. That's what she was. If she hadn't acted like a _stupid five year old who had a temper tantrum_ nobody would be in a coma, and everything would be fine.

Linh shook her shoulder. It was only then that Sophie realized that she was on the floor, clutching her forehead. Her vision was red tinted and the walls were shaking. Quickly remembering the last encounter with the red vision, Sophie quickly internalized the emotions she was feeling deep inside of her, into a tight ball of emotions, just behind her ribs. Keefe, like her, was also on the ground, clutching his head like he was afraid it would break into pieces if he let go. Linh whispered,

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to make it any worse for you. We can go away from here, if you want."

"No," Sophie rasped, "I need to see them."

Looking like she didn't fully agree with this decision, Linh slowly nodded her head. Turning back to the infirmary, Linh pressed her thumb against a flat metal sheet positioned where a handle should be. Clicking, the door swung open.

Entering the room, there were several beds lying unoccupied. There were two beds off to the side, however, that were not. Sophie looked at Tam first. He had an oval face shape, like Linh's. While his eyes were closed, he had the same regal face structure as Linh. He had jet black hair, with silver highlights on the ends cut into an undercut. Looking at Stina, she had frizzy brown hair and haughty features. For some reason, her eyes were drawn back to Tam's aristocratic features. FOr the first time, Sophie reached out with her mind towards Tam's. Once past his blocking, there was darkness. Calling out to tam, Sophie cried,

"Tam, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. Please wake up! Linh's worrying about you, even though I haven't been here long here, I can already read her tells. SHe twists her hands in her lap when she worries, doesn't she? Please come back for her. Please."

Once she called out the last word, something in Tam's mind began to change. It began to become _brighter, warmer_ even.

He's waking up, Sophie realized.

Pulling herself out of his mind, Sophie blinked just in time to see Tam open his eyes. _Linh's eyes._

* * *

**Not - Sophie POV**

At that moment, Brant and FIntan burst into the room. Fintan shouted,

"Linh! What were you thinking! She _obviously _already feels guilty for hurting Tam and Stina! By God! I'll bet her mind's halfway shattered already! Has she had lapses in strong feelings in the last few hours you've been gallivanting around the place?"

Seeing Linh's guilty expression, Fintan knew.

"Linh! If you've done this on purpose, I will have to excommunicate you from the Neverseen! You can't hurt your teammate! We're few enough as it is!"

Linh was in tears. She blubbered,

"N-no! I-I d-idn't know! S-she's t-the f-first g-g-girlfriend I've e-ever had! I-I n-never bl-blamed her! I-is-s-she going t-to b-be okay?"

Fintan looked over at Sophie, who was kneeling beside Tam's bed, her head in his chest. Tears tracking down her face, Sophie seemed both ethereal and horribly distant. She didn't seem to be cognizant of her surroundings.

Fintan's voice was quiet.

"I don't know."

* * *

**Hey guys! Boom! That's what you get for not reviewing - a cliffhanger. I'm mean enough to leave you until next week til updating. Mwhahaha! In case anyone was wondering, no you don't get a teaser for reviewing. That was a one time thing. If I'm doing that again, then I'll say so. In all honesty, two hundred views for eleven comments is rather...lackluster. I feel like I'm doing a good thing. In annoying you enough to review, I get a feel for where the readers what the story to go. Some things have already been decided, but minor details can be offered. In any case, my muse has been disappearing for this story. Which is why you got a shorter chapter. Reviewing awakens the muse! Au revoir!**

**X Roseareader**


	12. Chapter 12

Sophie could see the cracks. They were everywhere, pervading her mind until there were only shards of memory. This couldn't be her mind, not this broken landscape. She stretched her arm out and focused on trying to fix the cracks. Focusing her intent on the cracks, Sophie thought about how she needed to get back and how she felt with Linh and Keefe.

Strangely, they were somehow her friends, best friends. Not that they had competition. They were the first kids to seek Sophie out. Between all of the visits to the psychiatric ward and the counselor's office, Sophie either didn't have time for friends, or was rebuffed. Apparently, no kid wanted to be seen with the psyche ward kid.

A ball of energy gathered on her hand, and Sophie rubbed it on one of the cracks. Miraculously, it fused together, sealing together the broken parts. Gaining courage, Sophie gathered another ball of energy, and placed it upon the biggest crack. At first, Sophie thought it was working, but then it wasn't. She felt a sucking feeling, and fell through the crack.

* * *

**Sophie POV**

**-Flashback-**

**10 years ago**

Everything was shrouded in pain. She couldn't move - she had leaden weight on her body. Five year old Sophie couldn't understand why they paralyzed her, but didn't knock her out.

_What's wrong with her? WHat do we do for you, baby? How are we going to pay for another stay? What's wrong with her?_

Sophie's mother's thoughts were like broken glass covered in battery acid digging into her skull. Sophie was suddenly glad that she couldn't move, or she would be grasping her head in agony.

The doctor's annoying voice rang her head

_How do I break this to her? How do I word this, your daughter's a freak. Her brain activity's far more efficient than the best of us, and there's some strange metallic substance in her head, chest, and stomach. Surgery didn't turn up anything, and tests on the area for metal turned up clean. The CT scan isn't wrong. She isn't human. She has to either be put into governmental testing, or be put into a mental facility. _

However biased the doctor's thoughts were, he said with decorum,

"Mrs. Foster. Unfortunately, we did not find any trace of metallics during the surgery. I'm afraid she will have to undergo further testing at another facility. If you don't want her to do surgery, then you can place her in a mental facility. There, doctors and nurses will be able to ease her fears and help her learn with her possible mild schizophrenia. While hearing voices may not be an indication of a mental disorder, hearing 'voices' as frequently as your daughter does needs to be checked."

Sophie's mom burst into tears while her dad just stood there looking shocked that his five year old daughter needed to either go under surgery, or be in a mental institution, absentmindedly comforting his wife. Sophie watched from the cracked door. What was a Cee Tee scan? Why would it detect metals - those weren't supposed to be in her body!

"Can we think on this first?"

Sophie's father's voice was hoarse.

The doctor looked mildly sympathetic and annoyed.

"Of course. Take all the time you need. Let us know when you have made a decision. I need to give Sophie her medicine. If you will?"

Sophie's father quickly moved aside, and the doctor entered the room. Closing the door behind him, he looked at Sophie. The look was ugly, filled with hatred and overwhelming certainty. Smiling wickedly at Sophie, he said,

"You heard that? You're going to a mental institution, because your precious parents couldn't bear nor afford to put you through more surgery. Well, you would go to a nuthouse, if you weren't about to die."

Before Sophie could react, he put an IV bag onto her stand and plugged it in. She was immediately paralyzed, unable to make a sound. He unplugged the IV, and plugged in a new one. He said,

"This particular mixture has a high concentration of oleander. It's normally used for regulating heart beat, normal in this day and age of cardiac problems. However, in high doses, it prevents the heart from relaxing, causing a heart attack. It's not even on any lists for poisons that they check for on autopsies. Poor, poor Sophie Foster, age five, freak about to enter a mental asylum, dies tragically of a heart attack. Her schizophrenia, of course, acting up again. Schizophrenia increases the likelihood of heart attacks, you know. Parents are devastated, of course, but they will have to move on, maybe have another child. Hopefully not a freak. If they are even your _actual_ parents. You're probably just some creepy alien experiment. You won't live to see the result, sorry. Not."

Sophie was hyperventilating. She was about...no...was dying, and her murderer wouldn't be found. She would die in agony while her parents cried in the next room. She could already feel the oleander's hot burn through her muscles. She felt short of breath and a sharp pain in her chest. Signs of a heart attack. The manic doctor just laughed as he looked on. Sophie felt detached. How could she not? She was about to die, after all. A fuzziness overtook her senses. It dulled the pain in her chest. How nice.

_Death must not be so bad, if it's like this…_

A tugging in her chest pulled her from the numb feeling. Upset, Sophie started sniffling, not wanting to be subject to the hot burn of the poison. The tugging continued. Up and up, until she was floating in her mind. THe doctor seemed shocked. He shouted,

"No! NO! WHat are you doing! Stop!"

An explosion shook the room, leaving medical equipment askew. THe doctor got away, citing that one of the pieces of equipment malfunctioned, exploding his patient. It was the only explanation, really. What was he going to say? That he tried to kill his patient, and she disappeared in a bright white light while dying? It really was lucky that he had some of her blood from before death. Otherwise, someone might have charged him with kidnapping.

**-End Flashback-**

* * *

Sophie was back in her mind. Shaken at the drug up memory that she had tried to forget, Sophie decided to gather her strength before trying on another crack. The upside was that the largest crack that Sophie had just been in had healed. Pleased, Sophie drifted off to oblivion.

* * *

**Hi guys! Today's been a rough week. First, I get to get my ey surgery early, because of the coronavirus and everyone's canceling. Then, they canceled because of the coronavirus. Ironic. Also, my school was cancelled, so I will probably be able to update more frequently. Like, every few days. No promises! Anyway, comment and talk to me. I love reading your reviews!**

**X Roseareader**


	13. Chapter 13

Over and over, she slogged through. Memory after memory, crack after crack. Later, Sophie would wonder how she got through it all. It was, after all, not something one normally did. Impossibilities are possible, after all, if one believes in them. WHatever the case, Sophie healed all of the cracks.

Her mind was now pristine and unbroken now, thanks to her efforts. Her mindscape, unbroken now, was visible, and really interesting. It was placed in a forest clearing with a waterfall. It was tranquil and calming. Faint animal noises could be heard in the background - birds twittering and a crack of a deer stepping upon a branch. A burbling brook could be heard feeding off from the waterfall. Silvery fish were jumping in it, splashes of color in the sea of blue, green, and brown. The smell of pine was thick in the air, capturing but not overwhelming her senses.

Sophie relaxed. There was something infinitely calming about this landscape. For the first time in years, Sophie let go. A swell of emotions overtook her. A sea of tears swelled in her eyes, and spilled over. Sophie cried unreservedly and without any attention to her appearance. Tears splashed on the ground. For her family. For her experiences with the evil doctor. For her younger self who dealt with the broken, mad, and erratic thought of the mental care center. For her exclusion from the rest of her peers, and at times, adults.

She eventually stopped crying after what seemed like days, though it was probably only a few minutes. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks red from rubbing and tear stains. Her hair probably looked like something out of a horror movie, clothes wrinkled. She felt great. It was the first time she had let go of the emotions in her gut, and mind, out to play in the world. It would not influence her decisions anymore, nor hurt any more people. She felt elated, and lifted. Everything would be alright.

* * *

**The Neverseen**

Linh broke out in tears uncontrollably. Sinking down to her knees in front of Tam's bed, her control broke. The room rattled with her sadness, and rage. At herself. Inadvertently, she had caused her new friend to be...this. Sophie was knelt down beside Tam's bed, head on his chest. She looked so...dead. Like she would never wake up. The vials of medicine rattled, and shattered. Quickly, Finatn said,

"Linh, calm down. We will do the best we can for Sophie, and we can't help her by losing our temper. Let's pi-"

He abruptly himself off and looked in wonder toward Tam's bed. Silver eyes were open to the world, and were carefully analyzing Sophie. He said in a croaky voice,

"What happened? What is...Sophie doing on my chest? I thought she had to be kept in the cells until she could control her powers?

FIntan looked at Tam.

"She broke out. She inadvertently put you and Stina into a coma when she was escaping. Which she thought she had to do because Keefe played captor with her."

Keefe looked downtrodden, and turned away from the rest of the group. Tam rolled his silver eyes and said,

"Keefe, it's fine. I needed my beauty rest anyway. Don't beat yourself up. It just proves we have to let your creative outlet shine to the world."

Keefe turned back around and gave Tam an evil smirk. He started laughing maniacally. Tam quickly tried to backtrack,

"But you owe me a favor. You can't prank me first! No! At all! That's better! And go hard on Fintan!"

Fintan said,

"As much as I love you two making up, we need to find out what we need to do to help Sophie. We need to move her to a bed. Brant, can you help me?

Brant nooded, and moved with FIntan to move Sophie from the ground and Tam's chest. They placed her on the bed next to Tam's and pulled her shoes off. With horror, they watched Sophie's body start to convulse in pain and a broken whimper wormed its way out of her throat. Keefe whisper hissed,

"What's wrong with her? Why is she in pain now? If she's in a coma or...no. Her mi-"

His voice broke off. Everyone turned to stare at him. Fintan's mind caught up to what Keefe was trying to say, and sucked in a sharp breath. Linh said,

"What? What's up with Sophie?"

Keefe whispered,

"Her mind's shattered."

No one said anything, all processing the ramifications of the consequence.

* * *

**Sophie's mind**

Sophie was sitting cross legged next to the waterfall listening to the water crash onto the rocks. She was in a meditative state, taking in the tranquility of the scene. All the pain was gone, all the anguish. Everything was perfect, in her mind. Here, she could relax, and not worry about anything.

A strange sensation rolled throughout her body. Like she was being picked up. Curious, Sophie reached out with her mind to the body picking her up. Thoughts and emotions flooded her mind instantly. Fintan

_Sadness. Guilt. Self - hate._

_Why does it have to happen to Sophie? She's just been with us a day, and she's already hurt. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let Linh and Keefe show her around. I could have slowly introduced her to Tam and Stina, after they woke up. Now, her mind's broken. She's my responsibility as her -"_

His voice broke off. Sophie immediately felt bad. What right did she have to stay here when everyone else was worried about her? She started gathering her strength.

_Fintan, I'm fine. Just had to sort out a few things. I'll be back in a little bit - just have to prepare myself for Keefe's revenge pranks for making him worry. I'll probably smell like rotten gorgodon poop for the next month._

Shock colored Fintan's thoughts.

_H-How? Wait!_

But Sophie was done waiting. Gathering her strength, Sophie didn't notice the gold energy misting around her. Determinedly, Sophie focused and pushed herself out of her mind. The first thing she saw was broken, ice blue eyes.

_Keefe._

* * *

**Hey guys! Sophie's back! Woo hoo! WHat did Fintan mean by she's his responsibility? Tam and Keefe made up! Yay! Drama's not up yet, though. BTW, when all of the possible pairings with Sophie have appeared i nthe story, I'll post a poll where you can vote which, or no, pairing this story is. Oh, and good KOTLC stories to read are: **

**Such A Twisted Legacy by Ruby Silverstar**

**Keeper of the Lost Cities: Wanderling by IStillHopeForSophex**

**Nobody asked me to include them in my story, I just think that they are good stories, and you should check them out. See ya!**

**X Roseareader**


	14. Chapter 14

Keefe's eyes widened comically, and he stumbled back from the bed. All eyes were on Sophie, who was starting to feel uncomfortable. Linh cried out and rushed towards Sophie. She grabbed Sophie and hugged her like she would never let go. Sophie stiffened for a moment, not expecting the contact, but quickly relaxed and hugged back. Linh cried,

"I-I'm _so_ sorry! I j-just w-wanted to show you around and then you collapsed and when you got to the infirmary, you collapsed and I thought you were _gone_ and I just lost my friend and…"

Linh broke off into sobs. Sophie stared at her. Linh thought it was _her _fault that she had that...collapse? And Linh already thought of her as a friend? Sophie felt a warm feeling in her chest. She had never had a real friend before. All the others just wanted her help with their homework or to insult her. He cheeks slightly flushed, Sophie said,

"Linh, it's fine. I know that you didn't want to hurt me. Friends don't do that after all! I would have seen the infirmary at one point, and felt guilty about it. I already felt really bad about it - something else would have likely tipped me off. Please - Please stop crying!"

Linh looked up at Sophie with watery eyes and said,

"Are you sure?"

Grinning, Sophie said,

"Of course."

* * *

**A few weeks later…**

Sophie was running down the main hallway, which connected the rooms to the dining hall and the Infirmary. The layout was really quite simple - one big hallway with a few branching off hallways. The hallways were for the cells, all the important stuff being on the main corridor. Keefe was chasing after her. Apparently, he had taken offense when she had said his prank of hiding squink fruit in Fintan's food was overdone, and boring. Naturally, his first course of action is to try and tickle her. Not that Keefe knew this, but Sophie was _very_ ticklish, and knew that Keefe would only use his newfound knowledge for evil. It was, therefore, in her best interests to evade Keefe until he grew tired of chasing her and laid off.

Keefe, of course, wasn't alone. Brant had also taken offense to her statement, and had joined him in his crusade of pranking justice. Two very determined males were after blood, and Sophie wasn't feeling very good about her outcome. She decided to give it her last push, in hopes they would taper off, and give up, before she herself couldn't run anymore. Sprinting forward, Sophie raced down the hallway. Unbeknownst to the figures in the hallway, Tam had just finished talking with Fintan about a possible strike against the Council, and it had been a rather unproductive meeting.

As they had nearly no knowledge of the inner workings of the Council, it was nearly impossible to plan possible strikes against them. They had decided that they would only use espionage if deadly necessary. It was just too dangerous with all the Telepaths running around there. If they tried to run a break in mission, they would have to train their minds to be unbreakable, just in case someone got curious. For people who weren't Telepaths, that was nearly impossible, and only an immense amount of time and effort would yield the slightest results. Genthen, their resident Telepath, had amazing shields, but sketchy reading abilities. It wasn't that he wasn't powerful, it was just that his strengths lay nearly entirely in shielding. Without anyone to test it against, plans of break ins had fallen to the wayside.

Without espionage, they had no source of information. The Neverseen had hit a brick wall where they needed information. Tired, Tam pushed open the door, and walked towards the dining hall. He needed fuel to think about what they needed to do. He also needed to see what Keefe was doing to Sophie. The two had developed a rapport and a fast friendship. Almost as fast as the one between Sophie and Linh. Tam smiled at the thought of his sister. Being alone had put a strain on Linh, and Tam hadn't been around as much as he would have liked to keep his sister's company. Sophie was the balm to Linh's insecurities, which stemmed from when their parents had kicked them out. Being the powerful Hydrokinetic she was, Linh was always in some sort of trouble. That was before they had joined the Neverseen. Since they had joined, Linh was helped to gain more control over her powers, and was now able to be around large bodies of water.

A small, running figure came into his sight. While Tam could not make out the feature, the long blonde hair was definitely Sophie's. What was Sophie doing, running down the hallway? He hoped that it wasn't something Keefe did. His hopes were dashed when he saw Keefe's form come barreling down the hallway after her, aBrant with him. What were they doing? Before he could move out of the way, Sophie slammed into him. Tam fell over, Sophie on top of him. Quickly, Tam stood up, bringing Sophie with him. Sophie let out a squeak. Sophie had been apologetic for her role in putting him in a coma, but Tam had brushed her apologies off. She obviously didn't have control of her powers, and it wasn't her fault. There was always some sort of danger, guarding the people who needed to learn to control their powers. Sophie blushed, not used to close contact with anyone, let alone a boy. Tam put Sophie behind him just as Keefe and Brant came down to where Sophie and Tam were. Panting, Keefe demanded,

"Hey! Let us have her! She needs to be punished by the pranking god! With tickles of course. First offenders don't get pranked, that's just cruel. Anyway, can you hand her over?"

Tam scowled, and answered,

"What did she do to incur your, and Brant's, wrath?"

Angrily, Keefe said,

"She insulted my pranking skills! Everyone knows that you just don't do that! Not if you don't want to be punished!"

Tam turned to Sophie and said,

"Really? You should know by now that you shouldn't bump Keefe's ego. It's hard, with its size, but it's important when you don't want to wake up with gorgodon vomit in your hair."

Sophie gave Tam puppy eyes. She had perfected them against the nurse when she was younger to get an extra cookie during dinner. Now, it was guaranteed to put people in a state of confusion, with a want to do whatever she wanted. Tam visibly stopped, his eyes going wide. He said to Keefe,

"Knock it off. Let your large ego be unsatisfied for once."

Keefe smirked and said,

"You just got played, Bangs Boy! Ha! Soph? Can you teach me that look?"

Just like that, she was forgiven. Sophie said innocently,

"I don't know what you're talking about."

* * *

**Hey guys! (hides in corner) I'm sorry! I just joined a demanding online school, and just haven't gotten around to writing. Sorry! So, updates might not always happen on Sundays, but it'll happen at least once a month. Ok, am I forgiven? Please review - food for the muse!**

**X Roseareader**


	15. Chapter 15

Weeks passed by. As Keefe's and Linh's friendship with Sophie grew, Sophie and Tam's did as well. Tam and Keefe had a teasing rapport that had a sharper edge to it than was strictly needed, but they didn't outright insult each other. Apparently, before Sophie arrived, the two couldn't stand each other. The fount of information was from Linh, so Sophie regarded it as true. Being the sister of one of the instigators of the apparent epic hatred battle that Tam and Keefe used to share, Sophie took her word for it. Now, while they couldn't be called best friends, they were reasonably civil. The dynamic between Sophie and Tam was still rather awkward, as Sophie still blamed herself for putting him in a coma. Everyone that Sophie had met, excluding Brant, was in the dining hall, talking, before chaos struck.

"Hey! That's mine!"

Keefe's voice rolled out over the room. Sophie looked up from her cinnacreme, a vanilla cinnamon flavored hot drink. A sharp pulse of feeling pulsed over her heart. A feeling of anger. Keefe was glaring at Tam, who held a glistening square pastry. Sophie's breath hitched. The sweet was called tamarink, both Tam and Keefe's favorite pastry. The room of six braced for a fight. They were not disappointed. A continued spurt of negative emotions rolled over, causing a monstrous headache. Tam and Keefe started wrestling, putting the pastry in grave danger. Frustratedly, Sophie wondered whether they had considered the fact that the pastry would be more likely to be crushed. Either they didn't know, or they didn't care. The fight continued on, with no one trying to break it up. Sophie snuck a glance at Fintan, who looked annoyed, and...almost disappointed. Keefe got the upper hand, and rolled upon Tam, wrestling the nearly crushed treat from his fingers. A burst of pride rolled over him. Triumphant, Keefe held the tamrink above his head and yelled happily.

_Neither Keefe nor Tam deserve to have the tamarink. If they fight like toddlers on the floor, then why do they get the treat. It's like rewarding them for acting childishly! If Fintan won't stop them, then I will!_

Sophie focused her intent on the tamarink, willing it to leave Keefe's and go to her's. Her eyebrows crinkled in frustration. Instead of flying to her hand, the tamarink exploded, splattering Keefe's and Tam's tunic in golden sweetness. Both Keefe and Tam started, making the mess worse. Sophie froze with shock. She hadn't meant to do that. She looked with horror at the tamarink. What would have happened if she had focused on Keefe or Tam to force them to stop fighting? She shuddered with horror.

The door opened, and Brant entered, nearly skipping, a goofy and happy grin on his face. The happy emotions that rolled off him soothed the headache that had formed. It had started to pound upon her head, making it impossible to think. He stopped in his tracks, and stared at Tam and Keefe's rather compromising position. Keefe was straddling Tam's abdomen, both covered in tamarink remains. Tam had his hands at Keefe's waist, presumably to fight Keefe off of his body. Brant then laughed uproariously, and forced out,

"Anything you want to tell us, or should I start shipping Kam?

Both boys sputtered, and hurriedly tried to separate themselves, only further entangling themselves. Snorts sounded throughout the room, quickly dissolving into full blown laughter. A wave of happiness overcame her, vanishing the remains of her headache. Sophie, who was still surprised, forced out a laugh. Scowling, both boys separated and stood glaring at everyone. Linh, who was wiping tears of laughter, said,

"Serves you right. If you just brawl like children, the thing's going to get destroyed."

She looked around the room, and stopped on Sophie.

"That was you, right Sophie? Good on you, everyone else is petrified of Keefe or Tam getting back at the person who interrupts their fights by pranks. I don't think you'll have any trouble with that."

Linh looks slyly at both boys who had their mouths wide open with shock. Keefe is the first one to break the silence.

He sputters out,

"O-Of _course_ I'm going to prank Sophie for ending that epic battle whence I wrested the delectable confection from evil incarnate's sharp claws. Rising victorious, only to find the treat in pieces on my and mine enemy's shirt. Of _course_ retribution will come… upon both responsible parties."

He broke off muttering, looking for all the world like he was plotting the downfall of his greatest enemy. Tam smirked evilly.

"So I'm evil incarnate now? I thought we agreed not to call each other that anymore, _honey_."

Keefe sputtered and turned red. The rest of the room looked on in shock. Brant recovered quickly and called out,

"Kam it is! Woo hoo!"

Keefe looked at Tam with disgust and horror. Tam smirked back evilly and said,

"Karma's a real dog sometimes, isn't it?"

Fintan seemed to come back to himself, and sighed exasperatedly at both boys. He said,

"Before the prank battle wages, do you two mind changing into clean clothes? I don't want to see you two spreading that dratted stickiness around the building. The gnomes certainly won't thank you for making extra work for them."

Sophie had quickly found out that Keefe and Tam had a strained relationship with the gnomes. It was small things, from not talking to them any longer than small talk, or the small glances sent their way when the boys were unaware. Sophie had a sneaking suspicion it was because of all of the particularly messy pranks both boys pulled off. Not only was it disrespectful to the hard work that the gnomes put in to make the building clean, it was also the indiscriminate way the boys set them. It was like they didn't even realize they were making someone's hour so much harder than it needed to be.

Both boys grimaced simultaneously, and started to leave the room before the door came banging open. A man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes came bursting through the door. He stood there gasping for breath, hands on his knees. Fintan looked uncharacteristically worried, and rushed over to his side. Fintan said hurriedly,

"Genthen, what is it? Is there something wrong with security?"

The man stood there for a moment, then manages to gasp out,

"There's a raid. We need to evacuate immediately."

* * *

**Hi guys! (laughs nervously). Sorry for the long, unexpected hiatus! But I'm back! Yay! Not for long, however. I have an eye surgery on the 20th, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to reliably see, let alone write. I'll try to get out a chapter before then, but no promises! Like always, review. It's my muse's food. See you hopefully soon! **

**X Roseareader **


	16. Chapter 16

The room burst into noise and movement. Fintan said,

"HEY! Everyone! Follow protocol! Brant, take Sophie with you to your and Jolie's place for now, would you? We can move her to another safe house within the hour, but she needs a place to stay for now. "

The room got into a single file line and headed out the door, towards an unknown location. She hadn't been told the protocol for whatever a raid was, so her mind was spinning, trying to think of what she could do to either help or escape.

For the first time Sophie had known Brant, he was dead serious. Brant curtly nodded his head and held out his hand to Sophie. When she looked at him strangely, he said quickly,

"You can't light leap to my house - it's not on the registry. We'll have to lightleap to a passage chamber near my house and walk."

Sophie nodded, and grasped on his hand. Brant gave her a small smile, turned out the door, and walked at a fast clip down the hallway. Sophie tried to keep up, but stumbled. Brant swore as he steadied her and said,

"Sophie, come on! We have to get out of here! You don't want to meet any of the raiders. Most of them are downright vicious."

Sophie panted and said,

"S-sorry. Not used to doing physical stuff."

Brant pursed his lips, and quickly swept her up in a bridal carry. Sophie squeaked, and before she could make another sound, Brant was rushing down the hallway at a superspeed. Wind whipped at Sophie's face, and her hair went flying. After a few minutes, Brant stopped, breathing heavily.

"This...is...all I can...do...for now. We...have to run now, together."

Sophie nodded sharply and started jogging. Brant joined her, struggling to keep pace, and together they set off. As they passed another hallway, Brant said,

"...Almost there."

Three black hooded cloaks came out from the corner. As soon as the cloaked elves saw them, the two elves surrounding the leader pulled out silver weapons. A chilling laugh came from the middle figure.

"Well, look here and see what we found! Looks like the rebels are playing foster! Either that, or they're using the human for their little experiments...which is it girl?

Sophie's eyes had gone wide with fear. At the last sentence, her eyes narrowed, and her posture turned defensive. Beside her, Brant held his breath, waiting for the raiders to attack.

Sophie crossed her arms and pursed her lips. She looked up challengingly at the hooded figure.

"This sucks. Honestly. First I get kidnapped by these 'elvin' psychos, then some more 'elvin' psychos decide to break into the psycho 'elvin' compound to fight with the resident psycho 'elvin' people. This sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi film!"

Pounding footsteps sounded from behind the cloaked elves. Harsh breathing emanated from under the hood. The cloaked person was noticeably shorter than the rest of them. Unlike the others, his hood hung behind him, revealing handsome features and bright teal eyes. His brown hair was slightly rumpled, like he'd been running his hand through it.

For a moment, everyone stared at the boy blankly. The cloaked person to the left facepalmed. The middle raider said in a monotone voice,

"Mr. Vacker, the point of the hood is that it hides your identity and offers a certain amount of mystery. It completely defeats the purpose _if you don't wear it!_"

Sheepishly, the boy said,

"Oops? This is my first mission, and-"

Furiously, the supposed leader cut him off.

"Yes! Your first mission and you blow your cover! Your fa-"

The leader cut himself off, and turned towards Brant and SOphie

"This will wait. Now, the two of you are under arrest for treason against the Council, destruction of Council property, resistance against arrest, and any other charges that can and will come up. Continued resistance against arrest will result in execution by Council orders."

"I'm afraid that won't be happening."

A voice came out of the shadows. Sophie gasped when he tossed his hair out of his face. It was Tam.

"And why _wouldn't _that be happening, boy? Are you going to stop us? Please, throw shadows at our feet. I'm frightened at the mere _idea_ of you even thinking to use your powers on us."

The leader had to cut in, his voice an unpleasant growl.

"You should be scared of me. Especially you, _Song_."

Tam's expression and voice darkened at the last word, and with a growl, he threw what looked like a dark mass at the invading group. Being caught unawares, they didn't have time to dodge, and were caught in the blast. They all collapsed to the floor.

Tam looked up grimly at Sophie and Brant.

"You should go now, Sophie. More of them will come soon."

Sophie's tongue felt sluggish in her mouth.

"But what about you?"

Tam's lips tightened. He said,

"I'll be fine. Now go. It's just down this corridor. Brant will have to go with you since you haven't gone light leaping before, but you should get out safely."

Sophie hesitated for a second, and then hugged him tightly. Tam made an aborted noise of surprise, and hugged her back cautiously. He then let go, smirked, and said,

"You have to go now. Leave."

Brant snorted, and pulled SOphie towards the door. Before SOphie could say goodbye, Tam was gone. Inside the room, there were crystals hanging from the walls. Brant pulled her inside and shouted, "Soyayya!"

A feathery feeling surrounded her and she disappeared in a burst of light.

* * *

**Hi guys! (hides in a corner). Sorry for the unexpected hiatus! I had other story ideas that i wanted to write, but wanted to finish before posting. Like I learned with this story. Sigh. I can't promise regular updates, but I'm still trying? Stay safe, wear a mask, and BLM. See you hopefully soon!**

**XRoseareader. **


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